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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Celebrating the Pacific Fisher, symbol of a healthy watershed Book sale offers opportunity to pick up bargain, help kids programs Police Reports Training offered for winter shelter volunteers 10 things to know for Monday Education Who you going to call? School has its own rodent-buster And the winners are ... Ashland students Marketta Gregory: Stretch yourself for God Every minute counts, so make punctuality a habit Helman students illustrate kindness, love Environment Celebrating the Pacific Fisher, symbol of a healthy watershed Oregon Climate proposes carbon cost be redistributed Rite Aid cub well, could come back to southern Oregon Report: Smaller streams need further protection Bear cub wanders into Rite Aid Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Volvo S60 sedan Ride & Drive: 2015 Lincoln Navigator Greg Zyla: Motorsport personality Rod Spalding’s three collectible vehicles and his outstanding injured drivers fund Stingray Convertible is a world-beater Swing Tree Brewing Company Politics and elections Election equipment fails, delaying ballot counting Senator Merkley brings campaign to SOU Second write-in candidate makes commission position a contest Underdog Christofferson holds out hope of upsetting Walden Aquatics backer announces write-in candidacy for Parks & Rec board State News Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Jean Ann Haar Death Notices Death Notices Bess Hamers Sports Latest Stories Four local teams brace for do or die games Since Arizona loss, Ducks in a zone Putting himself on the line Grizzlies roar into playoffs with rout of Eagles Giants do it again High school Four local teams brace for do or die games Grizzlies roar into playoffs with rout of Eagles Grizzlies serve way into Sweet 16 They're twins, and they're good Ashland mourns death of former coach Stan Gida Southern Oregon University Four local teams brace for do or die games Since Arizona loss, Ducks in a zone Putting himself on the line Grizzlies roar into playoffs with rout of Eagles Raiders move up to No. 5 in Top 25 Opinion Latest Stories Granlund cartoon: Voter choices Mark L. Hopkins: George Washington spoke, we listen Letters to the Editor, Nov. 3 Our View: Preparing for the worst Herb Rothschild: Tell us how they vote Editorial Our View: Preparing for the worst Our View: Divestment is just a gesture Our View: Keeping the lid on Other Views: Help for Oregon's forests Our View: The Hills are alive Letters Letters to the Editor, Nov. 3 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 24 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 23 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 21 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 21 Guest opinions Herb Rothschild: Tell us how they vote Guest Opinion: Oregon poised to mandate GMO labeling Guest Opinion: Three ways to take action against carbon pollution Guest Opinion: An aristocracy of the people Teaching the First Amendment Revels Latest Stories Hawks Classes Q&A: The John Dough Boys Spookadelic Halloween Funktacular promises a lively dance party Best bets for things to do around Ashland Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Theater New plays debut at ANPF Music Book review: 'The Next Elvis,' by Barbara Barnes Sims Best bets for things to do around Ashland The Farr Side: On ‘1989,’ Taylor Swift lightens up 'I'm in this for the love' Repertory singers prepare 'powerful' opening concert Visual Art Movies Movie review: ‘Nightcrawler’ delivers on creep factor Christopher and Jonathan Nolan go ‘Interstellar’ Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas 'St. Vincent' is a revelatory experience Movie review: ‘Whiplash’ hits high notes Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Community Blog: Choosing Joy Book sale offers opportunity to pick up bargain, help kids programs Volunteers enhance services of Ashland Libary Another empty house blown up, and something smells funny Dr. Elaine Heffner: Monsters, ghosts and magical thinking Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs NEWS NOW Calendar: Monday, Nov. 3 ... Our View: Preparing for the worst ... Herb Rothschild: Tell us how they vote ... Calendar: Monday, Nov. 3 ... Our View: Preparing for the worst ... Herb Rothschild: Tell us how they vote ... WEATHER OR NOT Definitions that mislead, rather than inform By Doyle Hirsch DailyTidings.com By Doyle Hirsch Posted Oct. 28, 2014 @ 6:08 pm By Doyle Hirsch Posted Oct. 28, 2014 @ 6:08 pm » RELATED CONTENT • Definition of 'water year' is fluid • Weather figures in Ashland affected by microclimates » Social News A few weeks ago, during our inevitable late summer smoke-siege, I was sitting at my computer when my eyes started to bother me and I noticed a particularly acrid odor like someone had a burn pile going in my living room. I went outside and, sure as shyster, the air was thick enough to chew on. Definitely "unhealthful,," or so I thought. I went back inside to check the Air Quality Index to verify my suspicions and discovered that the air was listed as "good." Fifteen minutes later it was listed as "moderate." "Good"? "Moderate"? Huh? Maybe inside an active volcano. I looked up the word "moderate" in the dictionary — "average, ordinary, medium, common" were some of the synonyms. Definite cognitive dissonance here. So what's really going on with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)? I came up with four plausible scenarios: 1) Faulty instrumentality. It's not likely, even though Congress has been cutting back on the environmental budget for years. This under-reporting by the DEQ was been going on for decades. Malfunctioning equipment would have surely been replaced by now. Maybe. 2) They're measuring some obscure parameter that we're not familiar with, say Cesium 137. All right, I'll give 'em that one — the air quality was good to moderate for levels of Cesium 137. 3) They're just lying. They are, after all, a government agency. 4) They've changed the definition of air pollution. This is in line with the Bush Administration's changing of the definition of "torture" so they didn't appear to be violating the Geneva Convention of which they were a signee. Just as water-boarding suddenly became a recreational activity, so air quality that was hazardous for all terrestrial multi-cellular aerobic organisms became "moderate." This seems most likely. But, by whatever definition you use for smoke, the job done by the overworked and underpaid wildland fire fighters is truly inspiring. They breathe this "moderate" air for weeks without complaint and risk their lives to boot. They get a 21-gun salute from me. On a related note is the use of the term "haze" to replace the word "smoke" or "air pollution." This is very common among the TV news broadcasters and even the local newspapers, though to a lesser degree. I first encountered this euphemism about 40 years ago when I had the misfortune of having to conduct some business in Phoenix, Ariz., during July. I approached from the east through Scottsdale, which sits a little higher than the main city, and I noticed a big brown cloud hanging over the Valley of the Sun. I checked into a Ramada Inn — hey, it was on somebody else's dollar so I didn't have to stay at the usual "Let's Eat" motel, and I mentioned to the guy at the front desk that I didn't know that Phoenix had a smog problem. The following conversation ensued: "What smog?" "That grayish-brown cloud over the city." "What grayish-brown cloud?" "Just look out the front window." "Oh that. That's just haze." It sounded rehearsed, kinda like the Chamber of Commerce had told him what to say so, so Phoenix wouldn't appear to be like Dump Angeles, which at the time had the worst air pollution in the U.S. (and might still have, I don't know), and tourists and conventioneers wouldn't go elsewhere, thinking that they were just breathing in harmless haze. So "haze" it is. We've become a country of euphemisms anyway e.g. "enhanced interrogation" instead of torture, "erectile disfunction" instead of impotence, "adult entertainment" instead of pornography, etc., etc. I'll just happily go on sucking in the "haze" and be glad they don't call it what it really is. I'll feel all the healthier for it. Weather or Not by Ashland weather statistician Doyle Hirsch appears periodically. By Doyle Hirsch DailyTidings.com By Doyle Hirsch Posted Oct. 28, 2014 @ 6:08 pm » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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